Zhang Fangyong of China won the WBA youth bantamweight title after defeating Dong Chuan of China in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan province, July 1, 2017. (Xinhua/Chen Haining)
The rags-to-riches story of Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao has inspired Zhang Fangyong, a 27-year-old deliveryman who rides on his scooter from morning to night, to keep alive his boxing dream.
By Zheng Minghong and Qu Peipei
BEIJING, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- After finishing his last delivery order late at night, Zhang Fangyong takes off his yellow Meituan delivery uniform and gets into his dream role. The 27-year-old puts on boxing gloves and shadowboxes tirelessly in front of the mirror.
For the past three years, Zhang has effectively switched between the two highly demanding jobs every day - even after he was crowned WBA youth bantamweight champion in 2017, China's first WBA champion in this weight category.
"Boxing makes no money, but titles might. An Asia champion could expect a higher appearance fee for a fight, but only a world title can help you get on in life," Zhang said during an interview with Xinhua last week.
Zhang Fangyong of China fights with Dong Chuan of China for the WBA youth bantamweight title in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan province, July 1, 2017. (Xinhua/Chen Haining)
Born in a small village in Chongqing in southwest China, Zhang spent his childhood in Zhejiang Province where his family ran a flour diner.
In 2008, the Olympic Games were held in China for the first time, sparking enormous enthusiasm for sports across the nation. Inspired by the Games at the age of 15, Zhang soon dreamed of becoming a professional athlete.
At first, Zhang took up wrestling when he went back to Chongqing for high school. But in 2010, he turned to boxing after watching a documentary about the rags-to-riches story of Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao.
"He is my idol," Zhang says. "I want to be like him."
Manny Pacquiao (R) of the Philippines competes against Lucas Matthysse of Argentina for world welterweight champion title in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 15, 2018. Manny Pacquiao won Lucas Matthysse by technical knockout (TKO). (Xinhua/Chong Voon Chung)
With his decision made, the 17-year-old headed for Xi'an, a northwestern city far from his hometown. The first headache was money. Zhang needed to pay tuition fees of 3,600 yuan (about 500 U.S. dollars) plus rent and food. His parents covered half a year for him.
"In fact, their diner was having a tough time then and I felt guilty asking for more," Zhang recalled.
The newcomer turned to his uncle who was running a flour diner in Xi'an. For a year, he slept in a cubicle at his uncle's, woke up at 4am, worked at the diner until the afternoon and then trained at the club.
Zhang received a salary of 1,800 yuan each month with rent and food included, and finally managed to support his living.
While learning boxing at the club, Zhang soon yearned for more professional training, and he decided to move from Xi'an to Kunming and transferred to Zovi Boxing Club, whose alumni include China's first professional world champion boxer Xiong Chaozhong.
Xiong Chaozhong (R) of China competes during a WBC minimumweight title match against Yamamoto Hiroya of Japan in Wenshan, southwest China's Yunnan province, Feb. 22, 2015. Xiong Chaozhong claimed the title. (Xinhua/Lin Yiguang)
Zhang arrived in Kunming in 2012, when professional boxing was just emerging in China. Zhang was welcomed by Xiong's former coach Liu Gang, and soon joined Zovi as he had intended.
Hard-working as he had always been, it was hard for Zhang to change his previous boxing habits, so he went all-out to practise in his own way.
In 2014, Zhang first stood in the ring as a professional. "I didn't do well, but I won," he recalled.
In 2015, Zovi had arranged an event for Zhang with his teammate-to-be, a national youth champion boxer on a five-match IBF winning streak. On hearing the news, the two boxers' former coach immediately rubbished Zhang's chances of victory, but the Chongqing-born battler had other ideas.
"He was dropped in round 4," Zhang recalled, adding that he has long realized that what he lacks in technical skill, he more than makes up in stamina and willpower.
Zhang Fangyong of China (R) fights with Hou Tinglong of China in a WBA China Professional Boxing match in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan province, Dec. 25, 2016. (Xinhua/Chen Haining)
However, a lack of money remained a problem. In addition to forking out the 2,000 yuan annual tuition fee, he had to live in a small room with no more than a bed in it.
To make ends meet, Zhang took up a range of menial jobs, working first as a kitchen porter, then a security guard, a street vendor, and finally in 2016, a food deliveryman.
Things did not start well, as Zhang's delivery scooter, which he had bought for 6,000 yuan thanks to a small loan, was stolen just one month later.
To repay the debt, Zhang worked from morning to midnight, taking a bite of bread when hungry, and often running in the cold wind.
"I took at least 45 orders every day, but 69 is my personal record," he said.
Zhang earned five yuan for each delivery, but one bad rating from customers could lose him up to 100 yuan. "So timeout is a nightmare," he said, adding that if he is ever late for his delivery, he will apologize even before his customer complains.
Zhang orders food online himself from time to time. Once a deliveryman was late and came to Zhang apologizing profusely. "I saw myself in this deliveryman and almost burst into tears," Zhang recalled.
Zhang Fangyong (R) checks delivery orders on his phone. (Xinhua)
Zhang worked so hard that sometimes he earned as much as 8,000 yuan a month, a considerable income in Kunming. Yet the determined youngster was clear that all this was to fulfill his dream of boxing. He showed up at the club every afternoon and trained for three hours before returning to his scooter, practising new skills no matter how late he finished working.
"I keep saying to myself 'Boxing is your dream. Don't give up!'" Zhang says.
At the end of February 2019, Zhang was given a chance to join Beijing M23, home to WBA featherweight world champion Xu Can. To save money, he slept at the airport during his transit, giving him a stiff neck for a week.
"M23 is the best team in China. I came here without much professional experience, so it was hard at first," said Zhang.
But Zhang caused a stir at a Sino-Japan boxing event on March 30, when in round 4 he stopped Maekawa Ryuto, who was born into a boxing family and crowned East Japan Rookie King at the age of 17. When Zhang was 17, he had only just made up his mind to be a boxer.
Ryuto Maekawa weighs in before the Battle of Victors against Rex Tso in Hong Kong, China, on Oct. 7, 2016. (XInhua/Lu Binghui)
Following his surprise victory, Zhang remains a deliveryman, but has cut back on his working hours after receiving a salary and a living allowance from the club.
Zhang is now training in Thailand with Beijing M23 to prepare for WBA Asia bouts. Details of his next fight are still uncertain due to the global coronavirus outbreak, but Zhang says this waiting is making him feel like a real sportsman for the first time.
"All I'm doing here is training. Sometimes I think about my stressful daily life when I'm back in Beijing, but all I can do now is focus on boxing," Zhang told Xinhua over the telephone.
After three long rounds of traveling and training, Zhang has found himself at peace with his ambitions.
"I wouldn't say that I must have a world title, but I will try my hardest," he said. ■